2009 Season
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Evil Dead: The Musical
By Christopher Bond, Frank Cipolla, Melissa Morris, and Geroge Reinblatt Directed by Brian Matuszak Based on Sam Raimi's 80s cult classic films, Evil Dead tells the tale of five college kids who travel to a cabin in the woods and accidentally unleash an evil force. And although it may sound like a horror, it's not! The songs are hilariously campy and the show is bursting with more farce than a Monty Python skit. Evil Dead: The Musical unearths the old familiar story: boy and friends take a weekend getaway at an abandoned cabin, boy expects to get lucky, boy unleashes ancient evil spirit, friends turn into Candarian Demons, boy fights until dawn to survive. As musical mayhem descends upon this sleepover in the woods, "camp" takes on a whole new meaning with uproarious numbers like "All the Men in My Life Keep Getting Killed by Candarian Demon," "Look Who's Evil Now," and "Do the Necronomicon." Starring Nathan St. Germain, Katie Hawkes, Minden J. Anderson, Cory Regnier, Channi Ninneman, Jen Bergum, Ric Stevens, Anders Hultstrom, Jantzen Payne, April Carey, and Brian Matuszak. Choreography by Minden J. Anderson. Additional Choreography by Cory Regnier. Musical Direction by Mindy Malenius. Sound & Light Design / Board Operation by Jerry Bacon. Set Design & Construction by Anders Hultstrom. Demon Mask Design by Katie Hawkes. Band Members: Mindy Malenius, Nick Nyderek, and Ian Deterling. |
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Congratulations to Evil Dead:
The Musical on their 2010 Oeuvre Performing Arts Awards Nominations!
Best Musical
Best Director (Musical) ..... Brian Matuszak
Best Choreography ..... Minden J. Anderson & Cory Regnier
Best Lighting Design ..... Jerry Bacon
Best Costume Design ..... Cast & Crew
Best Leading Actor (Musical) ..... Nathan St. Germain
Best Leading Actress (Musical) ..... Channi Ninneman
Best Supporting Actor (Musical) ..... Cory Regnier
Best Supporting Actress (Musical) ..... Jen Bergum (Winner!)
Theater review: "Evil Dead" is campy Halloween fun for adults
By: Paul Brissett, for the Duluth News Tribune
It’s impossible to imagine how you could have more fun this Halloween than by going to see Rubber Chicken Theater’s “Evil Dead: The Musical.”
The show, which opened Friday at the Venue in Lincoln Park/West End, is a hilarious send-up of a series of campy horror films of the same name, with a dazzling musical score by five composers, a stellar cast and director Brian Matuszak at the top of his game.
It’s also at times obscene, almost consistently vulgar and extremely messy. Premium-priced tickets get you a seat in the front two rows, where you’re guaranteed to be splattered with some of the gallons of stage blood in which the set is gleefully awash.
The story is of five college students who’ve snuck into a backwoods cabin for a weekend of hijinks only to accidentally unleash a malevolent force that turns them one by one into Candarian demons, most of which are disposed of by the messiest means at hand: chain saw, shotgun or axe.
The show pokes fun at itself — also at its forebears, pop culture and Madison Avenue (“I was looking forward to biting into his flesh; the commercials say Scott’s is the softest tissue”).
Even the near-constant vocal filth is played as mockery of those people (and cinematic characters) unable to utter more than two words without one of them being of the four-letter variety.
The production bears Matuszak’s distinctive style, which is a wealth of sight gags, pratfalls and other slapstick elements. One of the funniest scenes is when the demons gain possession only of the character Ash’s right hand. Nathan St. Germain’s battle with his own appendage trumps Peter Sellers’ Dr. Strangelove.
There’s also a singing moose head on the cabin wall.
While St. Germain, as the last (living) human standing, stands out, the entire cast of 11 is impeccable and clearly having as much fun as the audience, creating distinctive and credibly incredible characters.
All are also excellent singers, giving George Reinblatt’s uproarious lyrics their full due.
While Reinblatt created the story and lyrics, as well as some of the music, he called upon four other composers to write songs for the show, giving it a delightful range of musical styles. They range from a sweet duet, “Housewares Employee” to a tango with an unprintable title, from the delightful doo-wop “All the Men in My Life Keep Getting Killed by Candarian Demons,” sung by Minden J. Anderson, to the production number “Do the Necronomicon.”
If you’re too old for trick-or-treating, “Evil Dead: The Musical” is your best bet for Halloween fun.
It’s impossible to imagine how you could have more fun this Halloween than by going to see Rubber Chicken Theater’s “Evil Dead: The Musical.”
The show, which opened Friday at the Venue in Lincoln Park/West End, is a hilarious send-up of a series of campy horror films of the same name, with a dazzling musical score by five composers, a stellar cast and director Brian Matuszak at the top of his game.
It’s also at times obscene, almost consistently vulgar and extremely messy. Premium-priced tickets get you a seat in the front two rows, where you’re guaranteed to be splattered with some of the gallons of stage blood in which the set is gleefully awash.
The story is of five college students who’ve snuck into a backwoods cabin for a weekend of hijinks only to accidentally unleash a malevolent force that turns them one by one into Candarian demons, most of which are disposed of by the messiest means at hand: chain saw, shotgun or axe.
The show pokes fun at itself — also at its forebears, pop culture and Madison Avenue (“I was looking forward to biting into his flesh; the commercials say Scott’s is the softest tissue”).
Even the near-constant vocal filth is played as mockery of those people (and cinematic characters) unable to utter more than two words without one of them being of the four-letter variety.
The production bears Matuszak’s distinctive style, which is a wealth of sight gags, pratfalls and other slapstick elements. One of the funniest scenes is when the demons gain possession only of the character Ash’s right hand. Nathan St. Germain’s battle with his own appendage trumps Peter Sellers’ Dr. Strangelove.
There’s also a singing moose head on the cabin wall.
While St. Germain, as the last (living) human standing, stands out, the entire cast of 11 is impeccable and clearly having as much fun as the audience, creating distinctive and credibly incredible characters.
All are also excellent singers, giving George Reinblatt’s uproarious lyrics their full due.
While Reinblatt created the story and lyrics, as well as some of the music, he called upon four other composers to write songs for the show, giving it a delightful range of musical styles. They range from a sweet duet, “Housewares Employee” to a tango with an unprintable title, from the delightful doo-wop “All the Men in My Life Keep Getting Killed by Candarian Demons,” sung by Minden J. Anderson, to the production number “Do the Necronomicon.”
If you’re too old for trick-or-treating, “Evil Dead: The Musical” is your best bet for Halloween fun.
Theater review: Evil Dead: The Musical is a bloody and raucous good time
By: DeAnna Partika, for the Oeuvre Arts Magazine
Evil Dead: The Musical is a highly entertaining night on the town. For those of you who appreciate an adult sense of humor, the musical was written with you in mind. My advice is simple. Grab yourselves a pre-show Anchor burger, a beer, and tickets to this Rubber Chicken Theater show. Finally, surround yourselves by friends who are ready for a damn good time.
Evil Dead: The Musical was staged as a workshop in Toronto and performed first at the Just for Laughs Festival in Montreal in 2004. It opened officially off-Broadway in November 2006 and ran eight times a week at the New World Stages before ending its run in early 2007. Obviously, with this sort of show, adapted from low budget horror flicks, it has a cult following. The upshot of the story involves several college students spending the weekend, of course, in an abandoned cabin in the woods as per the usual route campy horror shows take. In this bloody tongue in cheek take on your classic 80s unleashing of terror, demons and characters take it to the musical level with their singing and dancing.
I walked into the performance with my mind clear of prerequisite clutter. I was thrown for a loop, the charming woman taking tickets informing me that sitting in the front will put you in “the splatter zone.” My inside stewardess voice chimes in, “For those of you wishing for a new look to amp up your Sunday best, please make your way to rows one through three. Have a great show.”
The script holds nothing back and neither does the cast. Straightforward, they act out all the terrifying and hilarious possibilities informing each other about their roles in what our culture considers the classic horror movie. Floating from classic story line to the narrative was absolutely seamless and never lost speed.
The musical numbers are hilarious. “Housewares Employee” tells of the teen romance of two S-MART employees. Linda (Chani Ninneman) playing Ash’s girlfriend, wins you over like a true Midwesterner would. With lines like, “Polyester shirts and scanning more than just items in the checkout” you will be on the floor laughing. Ash (Nathan St. Germain) our story’s hero, can rock almost as hard as Journey’s Steve Perry.
The choreography only turned up the volume of the crowd.
The witty lines lost nothing while executed by this choice cast. Cheryl (Katie Hawkes) Ash’s quintessential little sister, has a scream worthy of a Hollywood voice over. This captivating young woman brought a lot of personality to the show. Shelly (Jen Bergum) played our ditzy, revved up to go sex-pot. I’m impressed by her ability to bring balance to this role. Her character remains entertainingly funny but never annoying. She leaves you feeling guilty that you’re wanting more. It’s like the guilty pleasure that comes with secretly watching Jerry Springer.
The cast and crew must have had a difficult time chugging through rehearsals without being caught up in outrageous laughter. What a great comedic yet horrific Halloween season endeavor for this community.
Upon leaving I couldn’t help but make specific phones calls to enforce my motherly guidance and invite friends to this show. See you there! I will definitely be in attendance again.
Evil Dead: The Musical is a highly entertaining night on the town. For those of you who appreciate an adult sense of humor, the musical was written with you in mind. My advice is simple. Grab yourselves a pre-show Anchor burger, a beer, and tickets to this Rubber Chicken Theater show. Finally, surround yourselves by friends who are ready for a damn good time.
Evil Dead: The Musical was staged as a workshop in Toronto and performed first at the Just for Laughs Festival in Montreal in 2004. It opened officially off-Broadway in November 2006 and ran eight times a week at the New World Stages before ending its run in early 2007. Obviously, with this sort of show, adapted from low budget horror flicks, it has a cult following. The upshot of the story involves several college students spending the weekend, of course, in an abandoned cabin in the woods as per the usual route campy horror shows take. In this bloody tongue in cheek take on your classic 80s unleashing of terror, demons and characters take it to the musical level with their singing and dancing.
I walked into the performance with my mind clear of prerequisite clutter. I was thrown for a loop, the charming woman taking tickets informing me that sitting in the front will put you in “the splatter zone.” My inside stewardess voice chimes in, “For those of you wishing for a new look to amp up your Sunday best, please make your way to rows one through three. Have a great show.”
The script holds nothing back and neither does the cast. Straightforward, they act out all the terrifying and hilarious possibilities informing each other about their roles in what our culture considers the classic horror movie. Floating from classic story line to the narrative was absolutely seamless and never lost speed.
The musical numbers are hilarious. “Housewares Employee” tells of the teen romance of two S-MART employees. Linda (Chani Ninneman) playing Ash’s girlfriend, wins you over like a true Midwesterner would. With lines like, “Polyester shirts and scanning more than just items in the checkout” you will be on the floor laughing. Ash (Nathan St. Germain) our story’s hero, can rock almost as hard as Journey’s Steve Perry.
The choreography only turned up the volume of the crowd.
The witty lines lost nothing while executed by this choice cast. Cheryl (Katie Hawkes) Ash’s quintessential little sister, has a scream worthy of a Hollywood voice over. This captivating young woman brought a lot of personality to the show. Shelly (Jen Bergum) played our ditzy, revved up to go sex-pot. I’m impressed by her ability to bring balance to this role. Her character remains entertainingly funny but never annoying. She leaves you feeling guilty that you’re wanting more. It’s like the guilty pleasure that comes with secretly watching Jerry Springer.
The cast and crew must have had a difficult time chugging through rehearsals without being caught up in outrageous laughter. What a great comedic yet horrific Halloween season endeavor for this community.
Upon leaving I couldn’t help but make specific phones calls to enforce my motherly guidance and invite friends to this show. See you there! I will definitely be in attendance again.
